Life as a Summer Associate

I stumbled across this thread, and I think it is a really good one. For those of you who have been through the summer associate process, could you describe it?

It is Summer Camp at a Law firm. The purpose of the Summer Associate program is to lull you into a false sense of confidence by making you think that the law firm actually CARES about your development as a lawyer and doesn't simply see you as a profit-making robot.

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I understand that there is a lot of doc review and research

Doc review comes when you are a First Year Associate. You do more substantive research during Summer Camp

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, but what kind of hours did you keep?

Just do what everybody on your floor does. If nobody is in the office before 10:00, then don't show up at 8, expecting to gain brownie points.

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How were you treated?

Wined and dined. Went to partners' houses and played poker and Guitar Hero. One partner invited us to his lake house and let me drive his speed boat!

2Ls get the jobs typically through on-campus interviews. 1Ls typically blanket firms with resumes and participate in a limited OCI.

Offers come (you hope) at the end of the summer...method varies by firm.

No doubt, if I had to do doc review as a summer associate I would have contemplated jumping out the window or something.

I'm just glad to see that summer associates even still EXIST in this economy. Sheesh.

When you got there as a 1L, what were your typical assignments?

How different was your first 6 months comapred to when you were a SA?

Aw man, like almost night and day damn near.

We give summer associates stuff like research memo's and other short term stuff that they can complete within a few days or weeks. When you become an associate you become part of cases (or deals on the transaction side) that last for many months, sometimes years. Plus there's a noticeable attitude difference I think. As a summer associate, nobody expects you to know anything. Everybody's all smiles and "hey no problem's" and "it's ok's" and what not. When you are an Associate people expect you to know some sh!t, meet deadlines, utilize resources, be available on blackberry 24/7, etc. In other words, they treat you like a professional.

As far as assignments for summer associates, like I said, mostly legal research memo's, maybe get to participate in a legal paper for a publication, sit in on a few depositions or something like that, maybe shadow one of the partners to court, etc. It's mostly (at least it used to be, i dunno what it is anymore) a lot of drinking at happy hours, free lunches at the most famous and expensive restaurants in NYC, broadway shows, boat cruises, Yankee's games, etc.

I remember last year when I gave out my first summer associate research assignment. Ahhh, memories. I was sitting in my office dealing with some case that some partner had just kicked down to me, and I remember thinking to myself, I'm gonna have to do a couple day of research on this one point to find out - wait a minute, WE HAVE SUMMERS!!! YES!!

[picks up phone] "Hey summer coordinator, I need a summer associate in my office for a research memo.""We'll send one right over.""Great, thanks."

[in walks summer associate] "Mr. Sands they said you wanted to see me.""Yes, sit down. I see you brought a pad & pen with you. Good. Here's what I need you to do..."

[Sands grins evil grin upon realizing that, for the next 10 weeks, he no longer has to search lexis or westlaw]

2Ls get the jobs typically through on-campus interviews. 1Ls typically blanket firms with resumes and participate in a limited OCI.

Offers come (you hope) at the end of the summer...method varies by firm.

No doubt, if I had to do doc review as a summer associate I would have contemplated jumping out the window or something.

I'm just glad to see that summer associates even still EXIST in this economy. Sheesh.

When you got there as a 1L, what were your typical assignments?

How different was your first 6 months comapred to when you were a SA?

Aw man, like almost night and day damn near.

We give summer associates stuff like research memo's and other short term stuff that they can complete within a few days or weeks. When you become an associate you become part of cases (or deals on the transaction side) that last for many months, sometimes years. Plus there's a noticeable attitude difference I think. As a summer associate, nobody expects you to know anything. Everybody's all smiles and "hey no problem's" and "it's ok's" and what not. When you are an Associate people expect you to know some sh!t, meet deadlines, utilize resources, be available on blackberry 24/7, etc. In other words, they treat you like a professional.

Welp, this summer we actually have to know *&^% and make sure our assignments are 100% on point...no room for error